Twenty years ago, FROLIC (the Frivolity Required Order and Leisure Information Company) sent its first wave of Family Fun Colony Pods to every corner of the galaxy.
The idea was to bring entertainment to the far corners of the universe by establishing sprawling leisure resorts on remote planets, so that they might grow and flourish over generations and provide ready-made entertainment for the ever-expanding galactic tourist population.
The Family Fun Pod sent to the remote world of Cydonia 77-B/6 wasn’t particularly special. The pod was designed to grow a resort colony resembling an Old West gold rush town. There was even a deposit of rare drangite near where the pod landed, to emulate the dynamics of a real mining rush.
But something went wrong. Maybe the pod malfunctioned. Maybe it was struck by a meteor. Maybe it was sabotage. The truth is lost to history. Whatever happened, the Family Fun Pod crash-landed far from its landing site, killing many of the flash-frozen volunteers and injuring many more.
The POPS (the Prototypal Operations and Personal Support) module, designed to provide medical aid, assistance, and corporate guidance to the colonists, did what it could to repair the damage done. It performed emergency surgeries to repair the hurt, maimed, and dismembered colonists, installing cybernetic modules and replacement limbs as best it could under the circumstances. Bewildered but resolute, the colonists began trying to build their resort colony.
Originally, the colony pod contained a wealth of high-tech equipment for starting up. Most of it was destroyed or damaged, and attempts by POPS to repair or jury-rig often made things worse, leading to half-baked technical solutions and frequently malfunctioning makeshift gear. To add to the struggles, the colony required frequent hauls of precious drangium, leading to the construction of the antigravy railway, where the Ol’ Fluctuator locomotive runs between the drangium mines and the burgeoning desert town of Gurgling Gulch.
The colonists are trying their best to keep things together, but law and order is starting to collapse as the future of Gurgling Gulch grows uncertain. Some believe Corporate will arrive any day now to provide relief and a routine progress evaluation for the town. Others believe Corporate is never coming, and want to use POPS’ resources to get off this god-forsaken rock.
As a result, law and order has begun to break down. The infamous Donkey Hog gang, led by notorious outlaw Turkey-Neck Jack Fuscia, have started attempting raids on the Ol’ Fluctuator and looting the outlying settlements. Even in the town of Gurgling Gulch, the law is fragile, as corrupt Sheriff Billy-Birch O’Travesty plunders the town from behind the scenes and weak-willed Judge Flopsweat lets hardened criminals run free.
Someone needs to restore order, justice, and strong company policies that work toward the bottom line with a focus on family-oriented fun to the town of Gurgling Gulch. Who will it be?
The Lonesome Ballad of Cydonia 77-B/6 is a sci-fi steampunk comedy Western for five players.
Hosted and narrated by:
Daniel Swensen (danielswensen)
Completed 09/28/20.
Scenes played: 9
License: Community License
